Stick it!

On my way to coach this morning I had two roads converge in my mind and I was reminded yet again how much swimming has taught me about life.

Road 1:
I was reflecting how much immediate change I saw in an athletes’ swim during a private coaching session . My thoughts at the time were, ” remarkable the improvement. I hope she will hang on to it and stay focused on it long enough to make it stick.”

Road 2:
Again, I was reflecting. This time on an overriding theme in my devotions the past few months. The theme has been “what’s important? What am I focused on? What are my values? My priorities? Do they show up in the choices I make with my time, my money, my thoughts??”

Whenever I’m meditating on road 2 I realize just how much I am barraged by the pressures, distractions and “shiny” things in life and how my answers to the questions in road 2 are not reflected as I would like in how Iive my days. That is always disappointing and heartbreaking.

Convergence:
In swimming, to make an adjustment in your stroke “stick”, you have to focus on it every single stroke, every time you swim. That could take a week or a month or two. It just depends!

In life, that’s what it’s going to take to have my values show up in my choices . Focusing on one at a time until that adjustment sticks.

Simple yes? Easy? Not so much!

To focus means by definition that other things will have to go out of focus. In swimming, if I am focusing on my hand entry, my kick may falter . Not forever , but the kick may falter until the hand entry change becomes natural (no longer requiring focus).

In swimming, I encourage the athletes to focus on one and maybe, for more experienced swimmers, two things at a time . They may have more than that to work onbut, if I give them 5 things, their chances of successfully changing many things at once is low. So, I pick the most important thing. The thing that will make the biggest difference for them.

In my life, I tend to try to change, adjust or improve too many things at one time. I allow myself to do this but, I know better!!

Today swim coaching and life coaching converged! I give myself permission to work on one thing. The rest can wait ! I’ll get to them.

As in swimming so goes life . As the swimmer “sticks” a stroke change, their overall swimming improves!

In life, as I focus on one value, priority or change at a time until it sticks, my life quality, overall, will improve.

An improvement in a swim stroke will offer the swimmer the ability to swim faster with less effort .

An Improvement in life, allows me the ability to live each day a little more reflective of my values and priorities.

One stroke change at a time .

One life change at a time.

In swimming a coach can make a huge difference!

In life, having the right coach . The right example is even more important!

I chose Jesus as my savior, example and life coach .

As I change, one thing , one day at a time, Jesus gives me all the strength, power, understanding, feedback and encouragement I need!